Chapter 55 The flame beneath and smoke

Chapter 55 The flame beneath and smoke
The Vorath Alpha didn't give her time to process. It was as if the beast understood her muttered words, launching a brutal, primal attack before she could even steady her feet. Its jagged claws extended in a deadly arc, swiping directly at her chest.

Ravelyn dropped her shoulder, twisting her body away to dodge the lethal blow at the last possible second.

She rolled onto the soot-covered path, her mind an absolute, chaotic mess. A hybrid dragon? Elder Vane's parting words kept ringing in her head like a persistent migraine. They’ve been lying. Every single one of them. Nobody is honest. Nobody is truthful.

Her thoughts darted to Kieran and Lucius. "Is that why they’re always hovering? Do they actually know what I am? Is this entire thing just a game to them?"

Enraged by the betrayal of her entire existence, her fury merged with the stolen Eden Vault fluid, morphing her magic into something terrifyingly primal. Images of her quiet life in the mundane realm, memories of Martha and James, flashed behind her eyes.

"Get out of my way," she snarled.

With a final, brutal surge of anger, Ravelyn launched a massive ball of black and violet smoke straight at the Alpha’s head. The force was catastrophic. The creature's skull split open with a sickening crack, and its massive body dropped heavily to the ground.

Breathing heavily, she looked down at her hands. The deep purple shadow-smoke she usually commanded was thinning at the edges. But for some reason, probably because she now knew the blood of the Aurelian Sun Dragon was flowing through her veins, she could swear she felt something brighter, hotter, and infinitely more volatile than her usual cold flames clawing to get out.

Suddenly, the ambient shadows in the atmosphere faded away. The sudden shift made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.

High above, the thick canopy of trees shook vigorously. A familiar figure descended from the upper branches, landing soundlessly on the scorched earth.

Ravelyn hissed, her eyes narrowing as she recognized the golden armor. "Lucius."

The pristine Light Bearer commander looked entirely unhinged. His usual untouchable facade was gone, replaced by a mixed, paralyzed expression of pure horror.

He had heard. She knew it instantly. He had been standing close enough to catch Vane’s revelation.

An ugly wave of resentment washed over her. Angels, demons, and the other elite races had joined hands to slaughter her ancestors. It felt like a deep, personal betrayal, even if she hadn't been born yet when it happened.

"What are you doing here?" Ravelyn spat, crossing her arms defensively. "Aren't you supposed to be taking care of your precious angel fiancée?"

Lucius didn't say a word. The tight, defensive set of his jaw was the only indication he’d heard the jab. Instead, he stepped forward, closing the distance between them until he was entirely too close. His eyes dropped, landing on a fresh, bloody claw mark slicing across her forearm.

He frowned, a low growl catching in his throat.

Without asking for her permission, Lucius reached out and grabbed her hand. The moment his fingers locked around her skin, a bright, scalding celestial aura erupted from his palm, forcing its way into her wound to knit the flesh back together.

The contact was blindingly hot, his pure light magic instantly clashing with the volatile dragon-fire waking up under her skin.

Ravelyn watched with astonishment as the jagged tear in her skin fused shut, but her surprise quickly morphed into pure irritation. She pulled her arm back out of his grip, staring at the newly resurrected flesh.

"I don't remember asking you to heal me," Ravelyn snapped, pulling her arm back out of his grip. She stared at the newly knitted flesh before her eyes locked onto his face.

She froze. There was horror in his eyes, yes, but there wasn't a single shred of genuine surprise. He wasn't completely blindsided.

She folded her arms tightly over her chest, her expression instantly hardening. "You knew," she breathed, her voice dripping with sudden venom. "You already knew about my real identity, didn't you? You've just been playing along this whole time."

Lucius shook his head, his tight jaw shifting as he stepped closer. "I honestly didn't know," he said, his voice dropping into a harsh whisper. "Not about the dragon blood. But I knew you weren't just some low-tier shadow Wraith, Ravelyn. Your aura has been fracturing my Aether since the day you arrived."

He exhaled roughly, looking toward the empty path where Vane had vanished. "But hearing one of the most respected elders of the academy council admit he tampered with your evaluation? Hearing him call you a hybrid dragon? I don't know what to believe or do right now."

Ravelyn stared at him, her mind completely spinning. She was stuck in a nauseating deadlock, torn between trying to believe the arrogant commander who had essentially kidnapped her from her human parents and dragged her here, and the weight of Vane’s terrifying history lesson. Neither option felt safe.

Before she could form a response, a slow, mocking clap echoed from the edge of the smoke.

"Well, look at this," Kieran drawled, stepping casually through the burnt brush. The demon prince had his heavy uniform jacket slung carelessly over one shoulder, his dark eyes gleaming with dangerous amusement as they darted between Ravelyn's flushed face and Lucius's defensive stance. "Am I interrupting a historical debate, or is the perfect Light Bearer just failing to keep his hands to himself again?"